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True Name is Cú Chulainn (クー・フーリン), the Child of Light (光の御子, Hikari no miko?), a hero from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He was a demigod, the offspring of a mortal woman, Deichtine, the younger sister of King Conchobar mac Nessa, and the deity, Lugh, the god who governed over the sun and a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the gods of Irish mythology. Deichtine, the daughter of a druid, Conchobar's father, and Maga, the widow of Ross the Red, disappeared in the Land of the Young without marrying anyone. There, she bore Sétanta (セタンタ, Setanta?), the child of the sun god.[1][10]

Sétanta was born in Ireland when it was still a land named after its abundant greenery, Erin, meaning "green" in Gaelic. Receiving great divinity from his father, who possessed every skill such as knowledge, techniques, and magic, he exhibited superior talent from birth and boasted supernatural ability that separated him from ordinary people from a young age. The land was split into five countries, and he was sent with his uncle, Fergus mac Róich, to King Conchobar's army under the Northern kingdom of Ulster. He was to have a life that would follow the destiny to "one day become a shield of Ulster."

He took up the name Cú Chulainn after accidentally killing the guard dog protecting the house of master blacksmith Culann. The guard dog was well-known to have the strength of ten men.[1] The King was to take Sétanta with him after receiving an invitation to Culann's home, but Sétanta was in the middle of a hurling match with his friends. He would have lost the match had he withdrawn at that point, so he said, "I'll catch up after I win, so go right ahead." The King was humored the reply, and, allowing him to come late, went to the house first. Tragedy began after one of Culann's servants accidentally closed the gate.

Arriving late, Sétanta was attacked by "Culann's savage dog", well known as having the strength of ten men. He alone strangled it to death with his bare hands, and the people inside gathered at the gate after hearing the commotion. Upon learning that Sétanta defeated the guard dog, they were full of shock and admiration. There was some sadness in Culann's eyes at losing his prized guard dog, so Sétanta, ashamed of his actions told him "Does this dog have children? If he does, could you allow me to take care of them? I will raise them to be guard dogs just as strong as their father. Until then, I will be your guard dog."[1][3][9][10]

Culann, impressed with the boy's offer responded to him with assurance that "I have no need of that. I will be the one to raise the dogs that will protect my manor. You, on the other hand, must train yourself. After all, you will one day be the guard dog of all of Ulster." All of the warriors at the scene nodded in agreement. Consequently, all began to call the boy "Culann's savage dog", Cú Chulainn in Irish Gaelic. The name praises not only his strength for killing the famous savage dog unarmed in his first battle and first time taking a life, but also for his character that thought of the owner of the lost dog even as a child.

He was still an apprentice warrior at the time, one in the training group for children wishing to become Knights of the Red Branch. He was around twelve or thirteen, though he claims it was just the adrenaline rush that allowed him to perform the feat. Honoring the noble declaration, he took up a geas that says he must never eat dog. It was prophesied that "this child will live as a hero" at a young age, and it could be said that he was predestined to become a hero due to his divine parentage.[1] After his name changed, the group of apprentices gathered around a druid, Cathbad, asking in an uproar which of them would become famed warriors.

Cathbad was powerful, with his divinations being strong enough to "determine the future" rather than simply "see the future." Not knowing how to handle the situation, he decided that he would tell it to only those who would take up arms on that day. The divination was bad enough that none of them attempted to go through the rites of warriorhood, though Cú Chulainn was fishing while leaning against a hazel tree due to his disinterest. He went through the rites of warriorhood on that same day, and received the prophecy that said "in exchange for glorious deeds of valor, his life would be short." He readily accepted such a fate, smiling and laughing.[1]

King Conchobar was enraged at him for becoming a warrior at his young age, causing Cú Chulainn's temper to also flare up. He smashed the spears of the castle and wrecked a chariot, responding with "Now try telling me one more time that I'm not strong enough to be a warrior." He was accepted into the Red Branch, but he claims there was not much in the title. He could do as he wished as long as he was not disloyal, allowing him to pick a fight with another land and then have a party the same night and forget all about it. There were many people causing trouble within the knights, so he would keep any eye on his own country more often than others.

He was often fighting as a warrior, and he fell in love with a princess, Emer, the daughter of King Forgall Monach, at first sight. He was enamored enough that he went to her castle to kidnap her, but she complained about not wanting to be with some nameless child. Only sixteen at the time, he went on a journey in search of fame. He journeyed to the "Land of Shadows" upon hearing of a powerful sorceress named Scáthach who had many warriors searching to be her apprentices.[1][10] There were many warriors under her, and one, Ferdiad, a warrior of the neighboring country of Connacht, was his equal in competing for the demonic spear, Gáe Bolg.

They passed the vow of brotherhood, and though he has three priceless friends, Ferdiad held a special place in his heart as an older brother. With his incredible magic and unrivaled demonic spearmanship, he acquired the secrets of leaping, Gáe Bolg, and the original runes from her at the age of sixteen. She had said at the time he received the spear, "Perhaps, I wanted to be killed by your hands", while smiling with a serene voice like a prayer. She had been given a fate where even death was no longer in her hands. She then said, "I give up. Better die before that happens", laughing her same hearty laugh of which he had grown so fond.

Though he had arrived at the castle by the shortest route, she reflected, saying "If only you were born a little earlier... Young, still young... Sorry. Somehow, it seems I got sidetracked a lot." He could only plan to leave as a lone man lamenting the woman he loved. He stayed there for a long time, feeling at home with his teacher and good rival. Aífe, a lord of a neighboring country started a war with them, and in some versions of the legend, Scáthach's sister, and Scáthach did not allow him to take the battlefield. After arguing, he was eventually allowed to fight alongside them, and managed to capture Aífe after a duel.

While they were hated enemies, he realized that he found her appealing, so he pursued her and was beaten by Scáthach for it. They eventually parted ways, and he asked that if she bore his child to name him Connla and send him to Ulster. He was to be given three vows to follow: "To not answer his name when asked", "To not change course", and "To not back down from a fight", the worst possible rules that could be given to his son. He and Ferdiad left the Land of Shadows on the same day, and he did not see Scáthach when they left because she had passed down everything to him and had nothing more to tell him.

He and Ferdiad each asked "How about coming to my country?" as they left the castle, each laughing at the realization that neither would budge from their position. He returned to Ulster, starting dramatic battles and becoming known throughout Ireland in an instant. With exploits unrepeatable by anyone else, he came for the princess as promised. He was opposed by King Forgall and his troops, but he annihilated them and also achieved victory for Ulster's knights. These battles mark the youth of Cú Chulainn, and his subsequent battles bear a heavy shadow.

The neighboring country of Connacht eventually took up arms against Ulster. Queen Medb, part of a long line of warmongering ruling queens, was the type of person who hated to give up, so she marched forces after a number of events transpired around her. She invaded irrationally simply to steal Donn Cuailnge, Ulster's golden bull, simply to beat her husband in a comparison contest. It started with Fergus defecting after the king had killed Fergus' sons out of lusting for young women. The pride of the Red Branch Knights began to serve Connacht out of hatred for Ulster's King, and that influenced Medb's aggressiveness.

There was also the factor of the curse affecting the people of Ulster that rendered men around the country too feeble to fight whenever they were invaded. Due to being born in a fairy mound rather than truly being born of Ulster, he was unaffected by the curse, allowing him to make part of his brilliant war record during the battles. He supported the weaker Ulster against her forces, an allied army of three countries. He spent every day slaying Medb's forces, and it eventually came to the point where they came to an agreement to change the war to a one-on-one fight as they began to lose.

Accepting several geas that would make him accept even his own ruin, one of which consisted of "fighting just one warrior a day", he forced the opposing country to take up geas unfavorable to them as well. It was set that they could only advance while he dueled one of their soldiers in the fords of the Ulster gorge. It was either lose five thousand men in one day, or only slightly advance at the cost of a single man, so Medb reluctantly agreed to it and started his series of duels. It began with Cú Chulainn's rune of vows, Ath nGabla, guaranteeing one-on-one combat with honor at stake.

Medb broke the conditions of the treaty and advanced. It was still a public vow, so it was only one unit that would not be noticed. It was still the best way of holding them back, but he had to deal with a number of issues. He had to fight a number of fine warriors and beings like the Calatin Clan monster, and he had to deal with other issues. He is ashamed that he had to sleep for an entire day due to fatigue at one point, so the training group of the Red Branch had to save him and was slaughtered because of it. He blamed himself for their deaths.

Morrigan, the goddess who governed death and destruction, also appeared before him to offer her protection. He declined and she was insulted, so she transformed into many animals to go after his life. He was able to repel every attack, and he even went as far as treating the wounded Morrigan. She came to admire that nobility from the bottom of her heart, deciding to support him without his knowledge. She did not want to destroy his pride, so she decided not to help him when he was in his greatest perils and simply observed the way of a hero.

The fords were a land of death, and the conclusion to the war was likely the greatest of living hells in his life. It eventually came down to the strongest of the warriors of Connacht, the one man he never wanted to fight, Ferdiad. Their battle was not of Ferdiad's own will, but rather a scheme laid down by Queen Medb. Both had to serve their lords, so one life had to be discard to defend honor far more worthless than their friendship. They were equal in battle, resulting in the cornered Cú Chulainn having to utilize Gáe Bolg to pierce the heart of the man he loved as a brother.

Taking Ferdiad's life was the first time the demonic spear had seen battle since leaving the Land of Shadows, and it was released on his most precious friend. Holding his fallen brother in his arms, Ferdiad said his final farewell to Cú Chulainn, "Gáe Bolg is a glory given to only the most gifted of warriors. In that brilliant hall of learning, you were our pride." The battle ended with the defeat of Connacht, allowing the recuperated warriors of Ulster to pursue their army and add a great blow to the defeat. He had managed to hold out against them for seven years, and finally succeeded in making them retreat.

Though he captured Medb, he returned her to Connacht, not killing her or shaming her, but instead treating her as a Queen. Though it was not something he had planned, he never once killed a lord or a woman. He did not like killing women on the battlefield, and loving or hating them made no difference.[10] There were no major battles after that point other than a strange young man coming down to the coast to stir up trouble. He beat any warrior who would speak to him, so the King declared that "Only Cú Chulain can beat this boy."

Other than before his own death, that event marked the only time his wife stopped him, crying that "you mustn't go." There was nothing he could do to avoid a royal order, so the two met in battle at the coast. He was a strong opponent that forced him to utilize Gáe Bolg. The warrior said "She didn't teach me that" before dying, revealing his tutelage under Scáthach. It was then that it was revealed that his name had been Connla, Cú Chulain's son. That marked the end of his golden years, as though he had become invincible, the sun still set for him.

Queen Medb had perceived her release as the greatest insult, vowing vengeance against him. As Celtic warriors had the custom of making geas, with those warriors who broke them being cursed, she utilized those of Cú Chulain against him.[10] She assembled warriors from the lands with grudges against him, and cornered him with many plots. He was forced to break his geas one by one, resulting in him losing his abilities. Ulster was once again beset by sickness, so he challenged the army of Medb single-handedly. Acting as the shield of Ulster and committing many deeds of valor, he had a life unexpectedly short in comparison to that valor.

He fell into scores of traps during the battle, and, battling furiously, he was eventually brutally killed and died pierced by his own magical spear.[1] He would not allow himself to die lying down, and tied himself to up to a post.[10] He saw an otter drinking the blood that had spilled into the river, and he died standing while laughing at its greediness. There landed a crow on the shoulder of his standing corpse in his death, said to have been the incarnation of Morrigan who continued to give him her unrequited love.[1] Poetry and statues praising Cú Chulainn still remain to this day in Ireland.

Lancer is a blue-haired, red-eyed man whose primary outfit is a deep ultramarine full body tights covered in Runic protections, grey metalic pauldrons, and a metal plate over his lowest abdominal section. He wears his hair in a rattail that reaches his mid-back. He also wears a pair of silver earrings. Lancer gives off the impression of a beast, even carrying a bestial smell.

In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Lancer usually wears a yellow Hawaiian shirt and black pants when he's not working one of his part-time jobs. In Today's Menu for Emiya Family, Lancer's casual outfit consists of a white T-shirt, black pants and a black jacket. Shirou found it a mystery that Lancer could wear an apron and look good in it.

In the Fate/EXTRA series, Lancer's outfit covers his entire body with light blue lined design, with some black sections, grey metalic pauldrons like his original design, and a light flame design on his left arm.

Lancer is a fierce, but balanced warrior who enjoys combating a worthy opponent, but at his core he believes in justice and is easy to get along with. He is an agreeable youth acting out the role of one gentle in disposition yet strong in body.[11] He has a playful attitude and takes a very carefree approach to life, but is quick to work himself into a frenzy during a heated battle. He was known as a brave, compassionate, and likeable young man in the legends. He mercilessly killed his enemies on the battlefield, but he respected faith and had the nobility to never once break a promise he had made.

He enjoys fishing, hunting, and hitting on cute girls. He is a proud warrior, someone who can't abandon a fight just because he's losing. He's ready to fight until the end, for the sake of his fighting will and also for his Master. He easily loses his cool, especially to insults calling him a dog.

He's not interested in killing innocent people, though he still strictly follows the rules of the war to kill bystanders like Shirou. He's very keen on his mission and somehow professional in his "work". He's noble and he can't really stand people who're joking with him or simply betraying his trust. He's also easily touched by others problems and if he chooses to protect someone, he will do his best till the very end. He really enjoys dating women or simply to spending his time in relaxing hobbies like fishing.

He regretted nothing in his life, though it was one full of wrong turns. There may have been disappointment, but he does not regret his life one bit. His spear only took away the lives of his loved ones, his close friend and son, but its only regret was that it had been meant to murder a single woman that he was unable to kill. Though it is impossible to swap one's life for another, he thinks saving Bazett from the looping world may allow him to leave the regrets of his youth behind. He only has a complaint about his fate as he tries to save her, that he never has any luck with good women.

As a long-time veteran of SE.RA.PH’s Holy Grail Wars, he is acquainted with Archimedes from past encounters. Although it seems like they wouldn't get along -- Cu Chulainn being something of a jock-type to Archimedes’ studious-type -- the two have a good relationship. As a warrior, Cu Chulainn recognizes and respects Archimedes’ ruthless side. Due to the nature of their relationship, if he were to discover that Archimedes had plotted against humanity, Cu Chulainn would accept it with a passing remark like, “Oh...yeah. He’d probably do something like that.”[12]

Cu Chulainn despises EMIYA for being a fake hero who does not take pride in his achievements, and thus doesn't deserve to fight on the front lines like a warrior. Part of his motivation for helping Shirou in the Unlimited Blade Works (route) was out of spite towards EMIYA. The two are also destined to be summoned to the same Grail War no matter what. In Fate/hollow ataraxia, the two spend considerable time together almost like friends. The Cu Chulainn of Fate/Extra is also acquaintances with Nameless.

Cu Chulainn had been forced to serve as Kirei's Servant upon the murder of his original Master. Under the control of several Command Spells, Lancer had no choice but to obediently follow orders - even ones he did not agree with. At least two instances occur where Lancer openly defied Kirei: one time, he chose to fight Gilgamesh instead of killing Shirou, and another instance, he killed Kirei in order to save Rin.

Medb is responsible for Cu Chulainn's death but he does not appear to hold a grudge against her. He is more unhappy with failing to save a bunch of kids who fought against her in his stead, thus leading to their deaths.

Cu Chulainn admires Rin and enjoys teasing her whenever he can. In the Unlimited Blade Works (route), Cu Chulainn is tasked by Kotomine to keep her safe, a task he openly enjoys until he discovers Kotomine wants Rin kept alive so he can kill her later. Cu Chulainn immediately rescues Rin from both Kotomine and Shinji. He also expresses a desire for her to become his Master. This wish is fulfilled in Fate/Extra, in which Cu Chulainn is the Servant of another Rin Tohsaka.

Cu Chulainn respects his teacher, Scáthach, as demonstrated in his max bond quote in Fate/Grand Order. He also feels inferior to her and will tell his Master that he is not needed with Scáthach around, given that she can now wield three Gáe Bolg.

Lancer was originally summoned by Bazett Fraga McRemitz, an Irish representative of the Mage's Association. She used Cú Chulainn's rune stone earrings as the catalyst and he responded to the summoning solely because he wanted to engage in a valiant fight to the death but this simple wish was never granted to him.[11] However, Kirei Kotomine betrayed Bazett and severed her left arm to obtain her Command Spell, leaving her almost dead. He then used her stolen Command Seals to gain the allegiance of Lancer and enter into the 5th Holy Grail War. Despite his wishes to avenge his fallen master, Lancer was forced to bend to Kotomine's will. Lancer is disgruntled at having to serve a Master who uses such cowardly tactics, but he is forced to obey Kirei's wishes.

Kirei chooses to employ a passive strategy regarding Lancer. He has Lancer go out on reconnaissance, and scout the locations and identities of other Masters and gauge how dangerous their Servants are. During his fight with Archer, Lancer noticed that Shirou Emiya had witnessed his entire battle. Believing Shirou to be an ordinary human, to preserve the secrecy of the Holy Grail War, Lancer silences Shirou by stabbing him through his heart.

Later, Lancer realizes that Shirou has recovered from his mortal wound, so he tracks and corners the young mage within the shed of his home estate. Before Lancer is able to strike a mortal blow, Shirou is rescued by the recently summoned Servant, Saber, who then engages Lancer in combat. Outmatched, Lancer flees the scene just before the arrival of Archer and his Master.

After this, for the majority of the story, Lancer is generally inactive.

In Fate, Shirou is lured to Kotomine's church, and once again wounded by Lancer. Saber eventually arrives to rescue Shirou. After events unfold, Kotomine reveals his other Servant, Gilgamesh, the Archer from the previous war. Kotomine orders the both of them to kill Saber and Shirou, and leaves. Lancer, disgusted by Kotomine keeping Gilgamesh's existence a secret from him, and by Gilgamesh himself, decides to rebel against Kotomine. Though he claims he is doing it out of hatred for Gilgamesh and Kotomine, and not to help them, Lancer chooses to fight Gilgamesh and thereby aids Shirou and Saber in escaping. He survives against Gilgamesh for half a day, but is ultimately defeated.

In the anime version of the Fate route, Gilgamesh quickly binds Lancer using the Chains of Heaven and kills him using Caladbolg.

In Unlimited Blade Works, after being driven out of his church by Caster, and faking his death, Kotomine orders Lancer to cooperate with Shirou and Rin. Lancer helps them with their plan to defeat Caster by fighting Archer to distract him, so that Rin and Shirou are able to enter the church. Ostensibly defeating Archer, but choosing not to conclude their battle, he later reappears to offer his aid again to Shirou and Saber after Rin is captured. Upon rescuing Rin, Kotomine suddenly appears and orders Lancer to kill Rin. In addition to his previous disgust with Kotomine, Lancer has come to admire Rin, and therefore refuses his order. In response to this, Kotomine uses a Command Seal to force Lancer to commit suicide. Lancer manages to get back up and survive long enough to kill Kotomine, stop Shinji from harassing Rin, free Rin from her restraints and set the Einzbern castle on fire.

In Heaven's Feel, upon sensing a disturbance at the Ryuudou Temple, Lancer investigates it as per his orders by Kotomine to scout the competition. He discovers and engages in battle with True Assassin, but during the battle, he is attacked and killed while his heart is consumed by the True Assassin; then his body is absorbed by the black shadow of Avenger and Sakura Matou.

In Fate/stay night - Heaven's Feel I. presage flower, he becomes the second Servant after Assassin to be killed by True Assassin and absorbed into the Shadow.

In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Lancer's role is expanded far beyond Fate/stay night. He is normally spotted fishing at the Fuyuki docks, but he is frequently seen wandering the city or at his part-time job as a grocer. He is quite amiable, chatting with many of the former Holy Grail War participants, and is well liked. Nearly every female character in the game is subject to a pick-up attempt (or in Shirou's words, "harassment"). These attempts tend to work out well, thanks to not downplaying his Servant qualities. However, in the end things generally turn out differently, leaving Lancer annoyed and/or embarrassed and the girl(s) in question safe from the grasp of the Blue Panther. He makes no attempt to combat the Shadow Wolf Beasts during the Fuyuki eclipse, instead quietly presiding over Avenger's ascent into Heaven's Feel from a distance.

In Fate/Unlimited Codes, he is known as the Blue Spearman of the Wind (疾風の蒼き槍兵, Shuppu no Aokisouhei?).

In his story Lancer rushed back to protect Bazett but he finds her murdered by Kirei. Kirei has stolen Bazett's command spells and became Lancer's new Master. Lancer was disgusted with the idea of working together with Kirei and suggested him to use a Command Spell to force him to submit to him.

He encounters Caster at Ryuudou temple, Caster observed Lancer earlier and she can tell that Lancer is displeased with his new master Kirei. She suggested to work together so she can break Lancer's contract with Kirei. Lancer rejected the idea because of his loyalty of a knight, he claims that by changing sides, it is hard to maintain respect of others. Caster insults lancer by calling him the "Hound of Culan" and the battle starts. Before Lancer kills Caster, they had a deal and Caster used Rule Breaker to cancel the contract.

His final opponent is Kotomine. Kotomine was confused about how his command spells are not working on Lancer. Lancer revealed the truth to Kotomine about his reason for him to continue the Holy Grail War without a master, to avenge Bazett who believed in Lancer and his abilities. Kotomine finds this absurd for doing this for a dead woman and he can tell Lancer that he's going to fade away soon. Lancer confirms that his body can stay for a few minutes and killing him will only take that amount of time. Lancer doesn't have a wish for the Holy Grail and revenge is all he needs and kills Kotomine. In the end, he starts to fade and recounts his time in the Holy Grail War. He admits that Kotomine is strong and regrets not fighting alongside Bazett in the war but he is content with avenging her death. He announce he doesn't have a wish for the Holy Grail and he's happy enough to fight in flesh once more. He thanks Bazett for summoning him before fading away.

Cù Chulain appears in the singularity under the name Shimazu Setanta, wondering why he's teamed up with Chousokabe Emichika and Mouri Medinari. Calling the situation a pain, Shimazu senses Ritsuka's group coming, and asks Mouri if she has a plan. He agrees with her plan to lure the group, but he's irritated that he's only there with a childhood name. After Mouri tells Chousokabe to ambush the group when Shimazu lures them, he asks what she is going to do. Hearing Mouri's answer that she won't be fighting, Shimazu merely answers that he wants to get started. Encountering the group, he lures them to where Chousokabe is able ambush them with his arrows. Delighted by the success of her plan, Mouri tells Shimazu that she'll buy him some bread later, but he complains that he wants something with yakisoba in it. He then tells the group that they were careless since the ambush was obvious when he ran away earlier. However, when Shimuza says his given name along with his allies, he and the others are defeated by an enraged Okita after she donned her Coat of Oaths. After he is defeated, Shimuza apologizes to his mentor before disappearing.

In his interlude The Taboo, Cú Chulain is brought to a forest in Britannia to kill a demonic boar, which he believes someone more suited should kill. He agrees to take on the task, then after killing stray homoculi, he tracks down the boar. However, the group discovers that the boar had already been killed by a chimera. After killing the chimera, the group discovers a poorly concealed mage's workshop, which was the source of the homunculi and the chimera. Cù Chulain then cooks the remains of the boar and the chimera, but he leaves when he believes that a dog was used to create the chimera.

He is first encountered in the Elimination Round against Berserker. When the battle turns in favor for Lancer and Rin, Rani VIII decides to commit kamikaze by overloading her magic circuits and explode the whole arena. Lancer is impressed with her commitment but Rin orders Lancer to impale her heart before she explodes. Hakuno Kishinami teleports to the arena thanks to a Command Spell. In the Rin route, as Rani was about to explode, Lancer sacrifices himself to save Hakuno and Rin. In the Rani route, as Hakuno's Servant fights against Berserker, Lancer uses Gáe Bolg to impale Rani's heart.

Rin and Lancer would be Hakuno's opponent in the sixth round, however, they hacked the notice board so that Hakuno wouldn't know the opponent. In the arena, an unknown enemy later revealed to be Lancer was following Hakuno and the Servant with killing intention till Lancer retreated to avoid cofrontation. The next day, Lancer once again tries to kill Hakuno by luring them to the arena and use a combination of his Runes and his Noble Phantasm to kill them from a distance at the school. However Rin stop him and a large detonation was found in the arena entrance. In the second level, Rin uploads Lancer's data into an effigy. Once Rani transfer the Anti-Lancer Firewall Bypass, the effigy is easier to defeat. By defeating it, they learnt both the class and noble phantasm of Lancer. After the elimination battle with Hakuno, Lancer apologizes to Rin for failing her, though Rin blames herself for being a weaker master.

In the manga adaption, he fought against Lancer in the preliminaries round. When Hakuno ask Rin for help, Alice and Caster sent both of the master and servant to a different environment. Alice and Caster summons Jabberwock to fight, Saber and Lancer temporary join forces. No matter how much they damage Jabberwock, it regenerates causing them to think of retreat. Rin uses one of her Command Spells to force Lancer out of his limits to break a hole in the barrier to escape.

Lancer is first mentioned, albeit not by name, when his Master Rin Tohsaka informs Hakuno and Saber that she is a former Master who has "lost her Servant", meaning Lancer. Despite this, Rin still possesses her Command Spells, leaving Lancer's fate ambiguous.

It isn't until Hakuno and Saber finally reach the sixth floor where Rin and Rani are that they discover Lancer had died in a mutual kill with Berserker long ago, right before the Moon Cell shut down, leaving no winner for the sixth floor.

Rin, or copies of Rin, were subsequently turned into a Demi-Servant that possessed Lancer's power and could use Gae Bolg.

In his side story, Lancer is eager to charge into battle for the fun of it. In his first mission, he is assisted by Nameless, much to his own disgust. He is further disgusted by Elizabeth Bathory's singing, and is in complete disbelief that she was actually singing and not intentionally grating his ears. After defeating Elizabeth and recapturing Nero's territories, Lancer reprimands Elizabeth harshly and gives her a bit of advice on what singing really is.

In the next battle, Lancer excitedly enters the battlefield with Nameless at his side again. He successfully disables Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda and defeats Medusa herself, but he chooses to spare her because he doesn't like hitting women. He promises that he will spear Medusa in the heart if they cross paths on the battlefield again. When Medusa asks why Lancer chose to side with Nero, Lancer admits that it's partly because Tamamo reminds him of Medb.

After the revelation of a "Force of Destruction" threatening the stability of the whole of SE.RA.PH, Lancer expresses eagerness to find out what kind of Servants the Force possesses. He tells Nameless that he himself is the best choice for taking part against this new enemy and Nameless, surprisingly, agrees. This disturbs Lancer somewhat, who expected a sarcastic comment. The lack of one prompts Lancer to realize that the situation is really dire. However, Lancer succeeds in defeating Jeanne d'Arc and reclaiming the territories she had taken.

Lancer tries to get Jeanne to speak afterwards but Jeanne remains silent. Gilgamesh then shows up to reprimand Jeanne for losing to the "mongrel." Lancer gets offended by the nickname and he and Gilgamesh start exchanging insults. Lancer's side story ends with he and Gilgamesh initiating a battle off-screen.

In the Nero's main story, Lancer is shown to get along with Archimedes, since they are both veteran Servants of the Moon Holy Grail War. It is together that they announce the loss of 80% of Nero's territory to Altera, shocking Nero.

Lancer has prevalent role in the Fate segments of Carnival Phantasm and also acts as part of a running gag involving his death. He is constantly "killed" within a segment in each episode aside from the second. While he dies without mention during Tsukihime segments, characters comment on it during the Fate segments with "Lancer died!" (ランサーが死んだ！?), "You bastards!" (この人でなし！?, "You are not human!") in a reference to Kenny McCormick's similar constant deaths in South Park. He has an episode based on the concept called "Final Dead Lancer", parodying the Final Destination film series, where he manages to avoid his deaths from the previous episodes. He ends up being retroactively killed in the events from the second episode, and he revives from his grave at the end of the episode as a horror movie reference. He drives a GaeBolCar (ゲイボルカー?). He is also able to be used as a thrown weapon by Berserker.

Lancer is a recurring character in Today's Menu for Emiya Family and first appears in Episode 2, peddling fish as a part-time job. Inspired by talks of Shirou's amazing cooking from Rider and Sakura Matou, Lancer convinces Shirou to let him come over for dinner that day. Lancer surprises Shirou and Saber when he arrives at the house, bringing with him a bag of booze. Taiga arrives soon after and Lancer joyfully greets her with a secret handshake. After dinner, Lancer helps Shirou clean the dishes.

Lancer appears again in Episode 7 alongside Archer. The two take part in a volleyball match against Shirou and Saber and easily defeat the pair by going all out on them, ignoring the fact that Shirou isn't a Servant.

Lancer appears briefly in Episode 9 when Shirou and Caster come to buy some fish. To their annoyance, Lancer makes the assumption that Shirou is Caster's "young giglio" and refuses to believe that Caster actually plans to cook food herself.

In Episode 10, Lancer helps a flower shop deliver flowers to Homurahara Academy for Ayako Mitsuzuri. Issei is not amused and gets into a fight with Ayako, who is promptly cheered up by Lancer.

In Episode 11, Lancer has a new part-time as a waiter at a cafe but requires a temporary cook, so he convinces Archer to help him out. A prior attempt to ask for Shirou's assistance failed, and offering to ask Shirou again is what convinces Archer to help Lancer, despite Archer's promise to meet Rin at the park soon. Lancer repeatedly praises Archer for his cooking skills and later tells Rin what Archer is doing. The episode ends with a scene of Lancer closing the cafe.

He was featured in the animated film Papillon Shin-chan ~I call for sleepiness! Spicy shaggy Kingdom~ (パピヨンしんちゃん〜眠気を呼ぶ！激辛モジャモジャ王国〜, Papiyon Shin-chan ~nemuke o yobu! Gekikara mojamoja ōkoku~?), a parody film of Crayon Shin-chan.

In Type-Moon's April Fools' Day 2015, Lancer is in a group called YARIO and is part of the Imperial Roma talent agency, his class is Farm idol unit (牧歌的アイドルニット, Bokukateki aidorunitto?).

Lancer's weapon, the Gáe Bolg, a cursed spear which is said to inflict wounds that do not heal as long as the spear remains in the world. His weapon itself has two main techniques which can be classified as separate Noble Phantasms, the first of which reverses causality to always strike the heart, and the second of which unleashes the full potential of the curse to strike the enemy by hurling the spear with overwhelming power. He is an expert monster exterminator, giving him an advantage over someone like Rider due to her Gorgon monster alignment.[13] Lancer also qualifies for the Berserker and Caster classes. He had gone berserk several times in life, and he takes great pride in having the ability and knowledge enough to qualify for the Caster Class due to his knowledge on Runes.[1][14]

He obtains no geographical boosts from the cultural sphere around Japan. If he were to be summoned in western Europe, he would receive a general boost in power similar to other European Heroic Spirits, and he would display a much sharper increase in power in Ireland.[15] If he were to be summoned in Ireland, he would have had potential access to a castle Noble Phantasm, a rare fortress Noble Phantasm that can only be used in Ireland, a chariot, a Blessing of Wakefulness (不眠の加護?), and the like due to being in the land where his legend took place.[16][17] Normally a "shining existence" on par with Heracles and King Arthur, he would only fully display it outside of Japan.[11] Those of Celtic mythology are not well known in Japan, but he was a great hero that outmatched even King Arthur in fame in Ireland.[18] While Diarmuid Ua Duibhne has an advantage in a fight due to having a better magical energy supply from his Master, Lancer would obtain more of an advantage should they fight properly in Ireland due to his fame.[19]

Lancer fights with a two-meter spear, allowing him to only need to attack when an opponent enters his range. Such a distance as three meters between him an the opponent matters little, so while it is easier to thrust at an approaching enemy instead of moving out, he will still quickly close the distance between an opponent instead. All of his thrusts are enough to be called a final blow to strike the opponent down. The main strength of the weapon is in its swings rather than thrusting as its shape would indicate. Its wide swing utilizes its long range to not allow the enemy to dodge by stepping back. Partial retreat from a strike will not allow for escape, attempting a counterattack would result in receiving a slashed stomach, and simply going forward will result in a smashed rib from the long shaft of the lance. Thrusts are still dangerous, but it is possible to avoid an attack that targets a specific point once it has been seen through to allow for the strike to be redirected to create an opening.

He fights with intensity, and it would normally be that closing in on an opponent in such a matter would be suicidal with such a long weapon. Lances are effective against swords because there is no effective way of parrying them with a sword. Strong rebuffs from a sword only results in a counterattack, while weak rebuffs do not create any openings. The most important part of a battle between the two is defeating the enemy while they are at the wrong range. Spearmen normally use their length and freedom of range to win a battle, and discarding such an advantage by closing in should mean defeat. Such by the book tactics mean little to him, as his ability with the lance shows no vulnerabilities due to not having to follow the general rule on lances. His strikes that are fast enough that even the afterimages are blurred allow him to easily remove any possible openings, and he can constantly increase the speed of his thrusts and make continuous attacks without allowing the slightest pause in between.

He prefers fighting with his full power as a warrior, but his own beliefs are held back due to his Master's Command Spell to "Fight against everyone. But do not defeat them. Survive your first battle against any opponent" and then withdraw. He is unable to display his full strength during such involuntary reconnaissance missions. His ability to withdraw from the battlefield in the midst of combat, Disengage, is very skilled, seen in decisive action of going after the possible threat, Shirou, in the midst of his fight with Archer, and the ability is fully demonstrated by having to fight all of the Servants then retreat. He excelled in seeing through battle situations during life, so he has the responsibility to wage war and withdraw repeatedly from all the Servants, showing the appearance of realizing that a situation is unfavorable.[1] It also has the ability of returning an unfavorable battle to the beginning, "turn 1", and restoring the condition of techniques to their initial states.

Contrary to his legendary battle prowess, his fighting in the Fifth Holy Grail War is extremely limited. Fighting several Servants to a draw, he will never start a fight on his own. Even if he gains a full chance to kill an opponent, he is to merely observe and is given no authority to attack. He can only go all out against an opponent during their second encounter due to the Command Spell, so his first true "battle without any binds" is against Archer. Without anything binding him, his strikes are much faster and harder to see than in the previous battle. The only way Archer is able to keep up with him in direct combat compared to the previous fight is due to the experience of previously fighting him. Due to Gae Bolg being a Noble Phantasm with a conceptual effect, it could kill Arcueid Brunestud even though she is superior to Lancer in pure numbers.[20]

Due to his Divinity as a demigod, he exhibited superior talent from birth and boasted supernatural ability that separated him from ordinary people from a young age.[1] At his ranking, his ability allows one to break through and defend against otherwise invincible skills, such as Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig and Protection of the Faith.[10] His speed is extraordinary, able to counterattacks with a lance with the speed of gods, all while standing still. It allows him to easily put distance between him and his opponent at any point in a battle, and using his lance to vault thirty meters is not a difficult feat. He is slower than Rider in terms of average speed, but he is faster in immediate maximum output.[13] Archer claims his speed is extraordinary among even the fastest heroes that would normally be chosen as Lancer. He far surpasses all of them, not even three in the world being at his level, and he is the only one with such "beast-like agility."

Due to Protection from Arrows, the ability to respond to projectile weapons that he has had since birth, he can evade any kind of ranged attack. He has to be able to identify the object of the attack with his eyes, so no projectile from a visible opponent will be effective against him unless it is a great Noble Phantasm. He is able to respond even when the object cannot be seen, allowing him to generally deal with most projectile weapons. Any form of thrown attack, even Noble Phantasms, can be avoided, but the effect of the skill does not work for the wide range of weapons that explode in a large radius on impact or direct strikes with weapons with long reach.[1]

He reads the course of the projectile attack by using the sound of cutting air and the enemy's murderous intent. He easily repels all of True Assassin's Dirks despite having precision rivaling that of Archer able to accurately fire between Lancer's swings, and even those that cannot be perceived coming from the darkness and those that come while he is surrounded by obstacles are easily repelled with a slight swing of his lance.

In the Extra series, he possesses the following skills:

Red Bough Wheel (赤枝の車輪, Akaeda no Sharin?) - A skill used upon himself. It absorb enemy MP when using BREAK. The effect would only last for 3 turns.

Spear play - Hammering Assault (槍術・初の槌しょのつち, Sōjutsu - ShonotsuchiShonotsuchi?) - physical damage and paralysis on enemy. The effect would only last for 3 turns. He will use this Skill on the 1st move.

Spear play - Median Lance (槍術・中つ槍なかつやり, Soujutsu - NakatsuyariNakatsuyari?) - Inflicts physical damage on an enemy. He will use this Skill on the 1st or 3rd move.

Ath nGabla: Shoal of Four Branches ( 四枝の浅瀬アトゴウラ, Shieda no AsaseAto Goura?, localized as "Shoal of Extremities") is a Rune technique that revives him. This effect which greatly boosts his strength and defense are permanent and would last till the end of battle, unless negated. The effect which would revive him will only last until his first death, unless negated.

Lancer obtained 18 Original Runes, Norse Runes, after studying magecraft under Scáthach in the Land of Shadows. He appropriately utilizes them to respond to different situations. One such rune, one with the purpose of searching, helps support his elusive actions during the Holy Grail War.[1] Holding the Ansuz rune allows him to set a blaze to reduce an entire room to ashes, causing a continuing conflagration that seeps into the rest of the Einzbern Castle and causes it to crumble. He can use them as a counter measure against Mystic Eyes, even those as potent as Mystic Eyes of Petrification.[13] He inscribes his armor with runic protections, and he is able to set up a powerful Bounded Field in an instant by carving all of his runes onto the ground. It is able to block a great Noble Phantasm, but it is unable to stop the encroachment of the Shadow.

Ath nGabla

Another use of multiple Runes is Ath nGabla (アトゴウラ, Ato Goura?), a seal formed by pointing his spear at the ground and carving four runes, Algiz, Nauthiz, Ansuz, and Ingwaz, in four corners around him. It is a curse of one-on-one combat passed down to the Knights of the Red Branch, and it does not carry any inherent magical energy. It is an arena formed from four brances, guaranteeing one on one combat with honor at stake. Warriors having set the seal no longer have retreat as an option, and all warriors who see the seal are not allowed to refuse combat. They also have the ability to be used in conjunction with his Noble Phantasm to raise its rank to A temporarily, allowing him to fight against Berserker's God Hand. It would be a very disadvantageous fight, but it would still be "one with some chances."[21]

He is not a reckless warrior, shown by being suitable to be of the Caster class. He can see through Rider's Blood Fort Andromeda from just a glance, consider the situation, and make a decision not to destroy it.
He is able to tell the quality of a Bounded Field and decide it does not belong to Caster due to not being at the same level as her Bounded Fields. He has a Magic Resistance of Rank C, meaning that aria of two verses and below are cancelled. He is unable to defend against High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, but utilizing large-scale magecraft while confronting a Servant of such superior speed is nearly impossible. The skill required to successfully hit him with such invoked magecraft is considerable, so is can be said he has a "necessary and sufficient" rank of Magic Resistance in terms of close combat.[1]

Lancer has a high rank in Battle Continuation due to having fought from a disadvantageous position in many fatal battles during his life, living on while charging through the battlefields like a panther. When it comes to defense, his excellent agility and great experience make him an "impregnable wall", allowing him to be confident in fighting both Archer and Saber at once if the goal is occupying them.[22] He is especially hard to kill, as told in the legend of the dying Cú Chulainn having tied himself to a tree to continue fiercely battling before taking his last breath. Being the best of the Servants at "surviving", he is able to take grievous wounds and still continue battling before succumbing to them, and possessing such a legend makes his dying struggle particularly fierce.

Not giving up easily, his tenacity allows him to battle on the verge of death and stay alive until he receives a clearly fatal blow.[3] He is able to demonstrate astonishing tenacity even in the hopeless battle against Gilgamesh, delaying his opponent for half a day.[1] He counters his opponents with an unyielding fighting spirit, and unlike Saber who will fade away instantly from a decisive strike to the heart from Fragarach, he is able to last for a period of time afterward. Even without an active heart or Master, he is able to hold his rapidly fading form through the use of his "dirty survival tricks." After being forced to stab himself in the heart in Unlimited Blade Works, he has enough energy to get up, remove the spear from his chest, retaliate against Kirei, free Rin, ward off Shinji, and utilize the Ansuz Rune to burn his body along with the entire room. It is noted that he is definitively dying the entire time, and the simple act of standing up in the first place is amazing in itself.

In the first Popularity polls of Fate/stay night in 2004, Lancer was ranked 8th and the third most voted male character.

In the second Popularity polls of Fate/stay night in 2006, Lancer was ranked 6th and the second most voted male character.

In the Type-Moon's 10th Anniversary Character Poll, Lancer from Fate/stay night was ranked 20th and the seventh most voted male character. Lancer from Fate/Extra was ranked 156th. Lancer from Fate/hollow ataraxia was ranked 232nd.

Legend
Once Ireland was called Erin, which means "green" in Gaelic. In this land named after its abundant greenery, there was a boy with great talent. His name was Sétanta. It is said that his father was the sun god Lugh and his mother was royalty. One day, he accidentally killed the guard dog protecting the house of master blacksmith Culann. Sétanta alone strangled to death "Culann's savage dog" that was well-known to have the strength of ten men. In order to compensate for this deed, for a while he himself would carry out the duties of a guard dog. Consequently, all began to call the boy "Culann's savage dog" i.e. Cú Chulainn.

In time, the grown Cú Chulainn was accepted as a member of the famous Akaeda Knights. His actions after that rendered him unmatched. He went to the "Land of Shadows" to fulfill his own love; there with incredible magic and unrivaled demonic spearmanship, he acquired Gáe Bolg. Cú Chulainn had become invincible but the sun still set. At a young age, a close Druid's prophecy said "in exchange for glorious deeds of valor, his life would be short" and accepting such a fate, he smiled and laughed.

In his final battle Cú Chulainn battled furiously and died pierced by his own magical spear. A crow landed on the shoulder of his standing corpse in his death. It is said that it was the incarnation of the witch Morrigan who continued to give him her unrequited love.

Tactics
Naturally by his own beliefs, he prefers to fight with his full power as a warrior. However, due to the Command Spell of his Master Kotomine "Fight with everyone, then withdraw," he was commanded to involuntarily perform reconnaissance missions. Even in the middle of his first battle with EMIYA, he showed decisive action by leaving the battle to kill Emiya Shirou whom he recognized to have witnessed it. The withdrawal was also very skilled, giving the appearance of realizing that the situation was unfavorable. Contrary to his legendary battle prowess, Cú Chulainn's fighting in the Fifth Holy Grail War was extremely limited.

Class AbilitiesMagic Resistance: C
Cú Chulainn holds a Magic Resistance of Rank C. Aria of two verses and below are cancelled, but beyond that High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals cannot even be defended against. That said, confronting a Servant of his superior speed (Agility A), finding the opportunity to use large-scale magecraft is next to impossible. Also, considerable skill is required to successfully "hit" him with the invoked magecraft. Judging from these factors, in situations of close combat, Cú Chulainn may have a "necessary and sufficient" rank of Magic Resistance.

In addition, as depicted in legend, he himself learned magecraft (18 Original Runes) in the "Land of Shadows", taking pride in having the skill and knowledge to qualify for Caster class. Even in a scene of the story, he sees through the presence of Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda at a glance, considers the situation, and makes the decision not to destroy it. Cú Chulainn is not just a reckless warrior.

Personal AbilitiesBattle Continuation: A
Legend tells that the dying Cú Chulainn tied himself to a tree before taking his last breath. For he who possesses such a legend, the dying struggle is particularly fierce. Even in a hopeless battle, Cú Chulainn was still able to demonstrate astonishing tenacity, delaying Gilgamesh for half a day.
Against Emiya who dextrously fended off his spear thrusts, Cú Chulainn countered with an unyielding fighting spirit.

Disengage: C
The ability to withdraw from the battlefield in the midst of combat. Having been commanded to go on reconnaissance missions by his Master Kotomine, it can be said that this ability was fully demonstrated. From the start, Cú Chulainn excelled in seeing through battle situations, and had the responsibility to wage war and withdraw repeatedly from all the Servants.

Runes: B
Cú Chulainn obtained 18 Runes from his studies with Scáthach (Norse Runes), appropriately using them to respond in different situations. It is said that among these runes, one with the purpose of searching existed. It was the ability that supported his elusive actions during the Holy Grail War.

Protection from Arrows: B
Ability to deal with projectiles. This is a power Cu Chulainn was born with. It's said that it's possible for him to avoid any long range attack if he has made visual confirmation of his opponent. He can deal with most projectiles even in conditions where the opponent cannot be visually seen. Even if the battle with Hasan Sabbaha, he cancelled the throwing swords hurled from the darkness. As long as the attack is a thrown type, he can avoid even Noble Phantasms, but he can't gain the effects of this protection with respect to wide range attack types where the attack range of the weapon explodes on impact, or a direct attack by a weapon that has simply long reach.

Divinity: B
The circumstances behind Cú Chulainn's great divinity is his father's existence. His father was Lugh, the god who governed over the sun, a member of the Danann divine family in Celtic Mythology. As a demigod whose father was an almighty god who possessed every skill such as knowledge, techniques and magic, and whose mother was Deichtine, younger sister of King Conchobar, he exhibited superior talent from birth. Boasting supernatural ability that separated him from ordinary people from a young age, in his training in the Land of Shadows, he received the original runes and terrible magic spear Gaé Bolg from Scáthach. Truly, he was a man predestined to become a hero. In Ireland, poetry and statues praising Cú Chulainn still remain to this day.

While this is a technique employing Gáe Bolg as a melee attack, it is originally a magic spear for throwing. With a technique that reverses the meaning of "cause and effect" in the order of things, the "result" that "the heart of the opponent has been pierced" is created earlier than the moment it is thrust. Accordingly, the "cause" that "the lance has pierced through the heart" is generated from it later. Without a great deal of luck (like Artoria), it can be said that this is a technique that determines "if it is released, the opponent is dead." However, against Servants like Heracles who can move even when their heart is destroyed, there is a small disadvantage. Compared to the Spear of Striking Death Flight, both the range of effectiveness and the destructive power are weakened. However, it is worth mentioning that "the magical energy cost is low." For having such a strong effect as "almost certainly will destroy the enemy's heart," without the need of a terrible amount of magical power, it becomes an excellent Noble Phantasm of extraordinary usability.

The largest and most powerful attack delivered using Gae Bolg. The “attack that unleashes countless darts at the enemy” which legends speak of is Gae Bolg – Striking Death Flight. After accelerating through an approach run, Cú Chulainn takes to the skies and activates Striking Death Flight by hurling it towards the ground with all his might.
Different from Gae Bolg – Piercing Death Thorn, Striking Death Flight does not carry the property or concept of “always pierces the opponent’s heart”, but compared to Piercing Death Thorn, both power and area of effect are increased (intense consumption of Magic Energy). It is a technique that attacks the enemies together with the surrounding area, in a carpet bombing fashion. Even resilient bulwark or agile body are not immune to the power of Striking Death Flight; Gae Bolg will send the enemy horde flying. In legend, the demonic spear is said to split into 30 and pour down over the enemy, but it seems the number has increased after Cú Chulainn became a Heroic Spirit. During the battle with Emiya, Emiya spoke of Striking Death Flight “exceeding the original, Gungnir – Declaration of the Great God”.

Profile
A spearman who does not likes ornaments and prefers to fight as his wild nature dictates.
A heartless individual who would even murder commoners to silence them if that is part of his job, but on the other hand has a refreshing temperament when not on work. A helpful older brother-type of character.

Level 2 Bond
"Barbed Spear of Piercing Death"
Rank: B Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Gáe Bolg.
A cursed spear that will surely pierce through the opponent's heart once thrust.
Its true identity is that of a reversal of causality, in which the spear is released after the outcome of the spear hitting the heart.
Since it is an attack based on the outcome, it is considered impossible to be evaded.

Level 3 Bond

Battle Continuation: A

Not knowing when to give up. Makes possible to fight even with an injury that puts him on the verge of death, and he will survive so long a decisively fatal wound is not received.

Restarting: C

The ability to break away from combat.
Due to simultaneously having this two Skills, Cú Chulainn displays his real worth more in skirmishes than in one-on-one duels. But since he likes duels very much, this fact does not really stands out.

Level 4 Bond

Rune: B

Possession of runes - the magic crest of Northern Europe.
The warriors of the Land of Shadows must be proficients in every martial arts, a warrior that just swing a spear shall not be raised - maybe because his teacher Scáthach had such policy, Cú Chulainn is also well versed in magecraft.
A nearly first-rate master, but since he himself sees it as a hindrance it is not employed much.

Level 5 Bond
His childhood name is Setanta.
Cú Chulainn holds the meaning of "Culann's savage dog".
It derives from the incident when, as a child, Setanta killed the watchdog of the wealthy merchant Culann by mistake and vowed "if this dog has a child, I'll raise it into a similarly strong, faithful watchdog. Until then, I shall devote myself to protect you".

Interlude
The matured Cú Chulainn enrolled into the "Knights of the Red Branch" that protected the king of Ulster.
It was arranged so that he would proceed to a mystic region called Land of Shadows as a condition for marrying with a certain woman.
Cú Chulainn overcame many obstacles and reached the Land of Shadows. Falling into the good graces of the lord of that Land - the witch Scáthach - he trained under her and mastered many magecrafts and martial arts.

Nasu: For sure. But since he knows about it, he wouldn’t approach Lancer in the first place. If it looked like Lancer was seriously getting ready to use Gae Bolg, Archer would already be frantically getting as far away as possible.

Takeuchi: Ah, I see. That sort of tactic is always an option, huh? So what about the thrown version?

Nasu: The “Spear of Striking Death Flight”. That one’s just pure, simple destructive power.

Takeuchi: As expected. If you added on the concept of heart-piercing at long range too, then…

Nasu: …it would end up being the ability of Lancer’s father. The ultimate version of Fragarach.

Takeuchi: Eternal Force Blizzard! And the target dies. Around that level.

Nasu: Naturally. Because the battles in mythology are freaking hax, right

Profile
A brave warrior from Celtic, Ulster mythology.
A member of the Knights of the Red Branch and the strongest warrior in Ulster, at the same time that he is a hero that employs the magic spear received from the leader of the underworld Scáthach, he is also said to be a practitioner of runes - the magecraft of Northern Europe that was inherited from his mentor.

Level 2 Bond
Having manifested as a Caster, he underwent a sudden change from when manifesting as a Lancer and now torments his opponents as a user of diverse magecrafts.
Has powerful heat・flame attacks as his specialty. Apparently, the "ansuz" rune is being employed in this.

Level 3 Bond

Rune Magic: A

Possession of the Magic Crest of Northern Europe - the runes. By making proper use of this, powerful and varied effects are mastered.
However, simultaneously employing multiple effects (joint use) is inadvisable.

Level 5 Bond
The cage on the torso of the giant that appeared as a Noble Phantasm is empty, hence the giant rages while seeking the offerings to the gods.
This is not a secret art of the runes, but a Noble Phantasm of the Celtic druids, given to the Child of Light who manifested as a "Celt magus" that manipulates sweltering heat.

Interlude
Having manifested as a Caster, he apparently has imposed upon himself the role as one who guides.
Not as a true druid, but as a temporary one--
So long they continue together, he shall illuminate the path that the Master walks on.

01 - Gae Bolg: Spear of Barbaric Impalement
A crimson spear that always finds its mark.
The truth of this weapon is far more sinister than legends says. In a strange reversal of causality, the target and ultimate effect of this weapon have already ordained. The only variable presence in a successful attack is whether it is used or not. Once used, it is not a question of if it will hit, but how long it will take for its target to die. Agility will not help one avoid Gae Bolg should it used, but instead it all depends on one's luck.
Gae Bolg is the most efficient and deadly of all the Noble Phantasms, as it has a very low magic cost and almost always results in a one-hit kill.

02 - Wielder of Runes
A form of thaumaturgy unique to Northern Europe.
The foundation of this craft is the engraving of words of power into stone to induce various mystical events. It is believed that this ability has been lost to time.

03 - Child of Light
A hero believed to be the offspring of a god and a human. Demigods are fairly common amongst the Legendary Souls drawn from human mythology, although few of them are considered more than second-tier heroes by their adherents. This one, however, is believed to have inherited the blood of the Absolute One, the main god of his nation's pantheon of immortal beings.

Anti-Magic [C]
Nullifies minor spells consisting of chants of two verses or less. Ineffective against high-level thaumaturgy and the greater rituals.

Marshal [A→C]
Increases vitality when in deadly peril. Makes it possible to fight even with fatal injuries and remain alive as long as a final decisive blow isn't struck. The ability rank of this skill has been temporarily reduced as his Master chose to boost his overall endurance at the expense of this ability.

Divinity [B]
This is a measure of one's Divine Spirit aptitude. At high levels, this ability allows one to break through and defend against otherwise invincible skills, such as Sri Maha Bodhiya.

First appears as demigod in Ulster mythology and is said to be the sun of Lugh, the God of light, and Deichtine, the younger sister of Conchobar, King of Ulster. His birth name was Setanta and from an early age it was foretold that he would become a hero of renown.

He was christened Cu Chulainn (which means Culann's Hound) after accidently killing the watchdog of a wealthy merchant. He took the name with pride, vowing, "I will devote myself to the rearing of a watchdog worthy of replacing the one I have just slain and until such time as that dog is ready, I will personally watch over and guard your life with my own."

Upon becoming an adult, Cu Chulainn was enrolled into the order known as the Knight of the Red Branch and then sent to the warrior-woman Scathach in the Land of Shadows to train as a warrior, and, according to darker rumors, meet his death.
Fortunately, Scathach saw in him a worthy student and disciple and passed on all that she knew of both martial arts and the more powerful aspects of thaumaturgy. Upon the completion of his training, Cu Chulainn was given the mighty demonic spear Gae Bolg and told to depart from the Land of Shadows.

After returning to be beloved homeland, his triumphs were many...but that is a story for another time.

02 - "Knights of the Red Bough"
All of the stories that surround the legend of Cu Chulainn are universal in their praise for his loyalty, heroism and compassion. And although he was famous for his terrifying "battle spasms" while on the battle field, his seemingly blind rage never overcame his steadfast adherence to his moral code.

Unfortunately, it was this unwavering adherence to honor that in the end lead to Cu Chulainn's demise. As a Celtric warrior, he was bound by a number of geasa (taboos), the violation of which would greatly weaken him. As a youth, he single-handedly defended Ulster from the armies of Queen Medb of Connacht. To add to insult of a single man annihilating her army, Cu Chulainn came across her on the field of battle, but chose to spare her life as he thought it dishonorable to kill a woman. From that moment on, the desire to see him die became an all-consuming passion for the disgraced queen.

Medb eventually came up with a scheme to weaken Cu Chulainn by using his own code of honor against him. By forcing him to violate several of the geasa that bound him, Cu Chulainn was stripped of the divine protections and gifts that were his birthright. However, he still managed to die with honor, tying himself to a stone pillar even as his life faded, as he vowed to never fall in battle.

Lancer [Servant]
Heroic Spirit of the lance. Requires supreme agility, as well as excellent close combat skills. Though they tend to be less flashy than the other classes, they are a very reliable type of Servant.
The Lancer in the story has a rough and tumble personality, but at his core he believes in justice and is easy to get along with. He is an agreeable youth acting out the role of one gentle in disposition yet strong in body.
His true identity is the great Celtic hero, Cu Chulainn.
If the stage of this Holy Grail War were anywhere but Japan, he would be a shining existence on par with Heracles and King Arthur.
As was mentioned in the story, he is a Heroic Spirit that specializes in survival, capable of returning alive no matter how hopeless the situation. Unfortunately, this time luck wasn't on his side.
It is said that in the midst of battle he would unleash a fearsome war cry, and at the same time his body would swell and bulge with muscle as his behavior became like that of a demon.
However, though he possesses the qualifications to be a Berserker there is no doubt that the Lancer class suits him best.
He responded to the summoning solely because he wanted to engage in a valiant fight to the death, but this simple wish was never granted to him.
He is a tragic Servant, who embodies the cynical notion that "wishes don't come true".

Nasu-san CHECK!
The two boasting the most outstanding speed in the game. Rider, able to move like a bullet and race around the battle field vs Lancer, able to counter attackers with a lance with the speed of gods, while standing still. In average speed, Rider is faster, but in immediate maximum output, Lancer will win. While Rider has several different types of Noble Phantasms, Lancer also has protective ability from rune sorcery, hence counter measures from her mystic eyes. Against an expert monster exterminator like Lancer, one who has a monster alignment such as Rider might seem to be in for a tough fight....!?

Q: If the Holy Grail War were set in Europe, would Cu chulainn (Lancer), King Arthur (Saber), and Heracles (Berserker) be roughly equal in power?

Q: If the Holy Grail War were set in Europe, would Cu chulainn (Lancer), King Arthur (Saber), and Heracles (Berserker) be roughly equal in power?

A: ...Well, if we’re talking western Europe in general I’d say the first two would be powered up to an equal degree... though England and Ireland, the odds would be sharply in the respective hero’s favor. Heracles would display excellent power in all of western Europe.

The three factors that affect the status of a Servant are land, recognition, and Master.
With respect to land and recognition, the closer one is to the land (cultural sphere) that was the stage of the legend of the Heroic Spirit and the more that spirit is known, the stronger he is.
The meaning of "strong" here is the Servant becoming closer to the strength, equipment of that of the legend. Through this blessing, the addition of another NP is also possible.
If Chu Chulainn had been summoned in his homeland Ireland, a castle, chariot, protection of sleeplessness, and the like would have been added probably. Also, if the magic energy of the Master is powerful, the Servant will become closer to his strength as in the legend.

Saber - Master: Emiya Shirou

Saber - Master: Emiya Kiritsugu

• STR: B

• STR: B

• CON: C

• CON: A

• AGI: C

• AGI: A

• MGI: B

• MGI: A

• LCK: B

• LCK: D

• Noble Phantasm: C

• Noble Phantasm: A++

Class Skills: • Magic Resistance: A • Riding: B

Class Skills:: • Magic Resistance: A • Riding: A

Because Artoria has served under several Masters, she is a good example for demonstrating the effect that the Master’s magical energy has on Servant Status. Because Shirou’s Magical Paths were obstructed, Artoria’s ability cannot be called that of the best Servant while having Shirou as her Master.

Artoria’s abilities rose when having Kiritsugu as Master. Her LCK status decreased since even Kiritsugu still could not provide sufficient magical energy, as a result the status was affected by the Master's way of life. When having Rin as a Master, Artoria was able to unleash her original abilities without being affected by the Master.

[v] Comptiq 2007-06 issue - Fate Dojo Q & A:Q: Cu Chulainn and Diarmuid are both Lancers, but who will win in an honourble battle?

Q: Cu Chulainn and Diarmuid are both Lancers, but who will win in an honourble battle? In their first engagement with Saber, Cu Chulainn was being pressed hard, but Diarmuid was able to pressure Saber. So... Diarmuid is stronger

A: Diarmuid received more backup from his Master (magical energy supply), thus in terms of pure firepower, Diarmuid was stronger. In Japan, both of them received 0 geographical boost (from the cultural sphere), but if the stage was in Ireland --- Cu Chulainn would have an edge.

[v] Comptiq 2005-10 issue - Fate Dojo Q & A:Q: I have a question about the Servants vs. other character answer in the 9th issue of Comptiq. About a Servant with an average Noble Phantasm, who would have one and what rank would that have been?

Q. I have a question about the Servants vs. other character answer in the 9th issue of Comptiq. About a Servant with an average Noble Phantasm, who would have one and what rank would that have been?

A: That's a serious question. The level of the Noble Phantasm would be B, and ability being represented by numbers would be called an average Noble Phantasm. Broken Phantasm, Barrier of the Wind King (C), Gae Bolg (thrown) (B), that sort.
On the other hand, those with conceptual effects, destiny interference types fall into a special category. With Gae Bolg (regular), no matter how much Arcueid might be superior to Lancer in numbers, she will be killed depending on her luck, you see.

[v] Comptiq 2006-03 issue - Fate Dojo Q & A:Q: Lancer, Caster, Assassin, and True Assassins; all with normal attack and Noble Phantasms of B or lower. If they fought against Berserker, wouldn't it be a one-sided fight? Or are there any of them that can match up against him?

Q. Lancer, Caster, Assassin, and True Assassins; all with normal attack and Noble Phantasms of B or lower. If they fought against Berserker, wouldn't it be a one-sided fight? Or are there any of them that can match up against him?

A: Assassin and True Assassin by themselves wouldn't even be a fight. Lancer can use his runes and Noble Phantasm together to temporarily raise the rank to A, but it'd still be a very disadvantageous fight but "one with some chances". Caster has two front-line Saber-class defenders, so if she uses her high sorcery then she'd be able to deal damage, but that would be limited to 2 to 3 times. Also, in the game, Assassin was able to push Berserker back because of the terrain advantage and support from Caster (weighing down Berserker's body). ...Well, since the compatibility of Assassin and Berserker is horrible, the fact that Berserker was even pushed back is enough to say "whoah, Kojirou's amazing".